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Operation Intern sees sharp demand; Commerce asks for one-time funding to meet waiting list
Summary
Commerce staff said the Operation Intern program has surged in demand from employers and reported a waiting list; Armstrong proposed $2 million one-time (in addition to $1 million base) to meet demand and assess outcomes.
Commerce workforce staff told the committee that Operation Intern — a state program that subsidizes employer-paid internships — has experienced rapid growth in demand. Katie Ralston Howe said the program supported 124 businesses in the current biennium and that application windows have previously closed in days because funds were exhausted. The office created a waiting list to measure unmet demand; if the waiting list were fully served, the program would have more than doubled the number of businesses supported in a single year.
Funding details in the hearing:
- Base ongoing funding: $1,000,000 - Armstrong proposed one-time additional funding: $2,000,000 (which would bring biennial total to $3,000,000 if approved)
Katie said the request is one-time so the committee and administration can evaluate program performance with additional funding before making it ongoing. She described program targeting: internships must be for in-demand jobs (per the workforce development council list) or be in one of five targeted industries, and employers do the recruitment; Commerce provides employer-focused subsidies and program administration. Staff noted the current special-fund authority for the entrepreneurship and voucher program is larger than actual cash-on-hand.
Ending: Committee members asked for outcome metrics and historical funding comparisons; staff agreed to provide additional detail to inform any decision to make the one-time funds ongoing in future biennia.
